The film concentrates on the camaraderie and the divisions between the troops as they ready for the big offensive. BATTLEGROUND seems like a simple film, but isn't. The film makes limited us of archival combat footage which contrasts poorly with the poor sets that were used for scenes shot on the soundstage. It features an ensemble cast many of which were World War II veterans. It follows the experiences of a small group of soldiers from moment they're hit by the German unexpected attack to the victory of the Bastone, where the Allies finally broke the German army and ensured their defeat. It rates with Saving Private Ryan, although ones fictional and ones truthful, as far as good war tales. 14 Like. Pirosh was a sergeant in Company G, 320th Infantry of the, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Battleground_(film)&oldid=1023625806, Films whose cinematographer won the Best Cinematography Academy Award, Films whose writer won the Best Original Screenplay Academy Award, Films featuring a Best Supporting Actor Golden Globe winning performance, Photoplay Awards film of the year winners, Short description is different from Wikidata, All Wikipedia articles written in American English, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 17 May 2021, at 12:33. gen. A.C. McAuliffe's relief at Bastogne required the wheeling of an entire army and a march through bitter conditions of many hours. Recal that Brig. Instead of going on leave in Paris, the squad is trucked back to the front because of a surprise German breakthrough in the Ardennes. Van Johnson, Ricardo Montalban and George Murphy star in this remarkable war film about courageous American G.I.s caught up in the battle at Bastogne. The men are demoralized and trapped, with no hope of support from the Allies. Incoming MGM production head Dore Schary ramrodded Battleground into the studio's schedule over the virulent protests of MGM boss Louis Mayer.The result was an award-winning box-office hit, as well as the beginning of the end of Mayer's power. It was also nominated for Best Picture, Best Director (William A. Wellman), Best Film Editing (John D. Dunning), and Best Actor in a Supporting Role (James Whitmore). Conventional wisdom held that American audiences would not be interested in seeing a combat movie … It is one of the better character studies of men in war. Synopsis: December, 1944. The item you've requested contains mature content that may not be suitable for all audiences. Holley, Layton, and Kippton man a roadblock that night. "Combat!" It compares very poorly to one of my favorites "Twelve O'clock High", made at 20th Century Fox and released in 1949, the same year as "Battleground". After they get Hanson to an aid station, the squad runs into Bettis, who is doing K.P. . Holley is appointed the new squad leader and partnered with Layton, while Pop is paired with Hansan. The 327th Glider Infantry Regiment never had an Item Company. Featuring terrific direction and capturing the grittiness of the conflict, Battleground was among the first films to really push the boundaries in terms of delivering a convincing, quite realistic portrayal of combat, especially for the time. Jil Pennington. That night, the Luftwaffe bombs Bastogne. This dramatization of the battles of Bastogne and the Bulge in the waning days of World War II concentrates on a single infantry unit. The film was in production from April 5 to June 3, 1949,[10] with location shooting in northern California, Oregon, and Washington state. Moved repeatedly, the 3rd Platoon is attacked at dawn. The Nazis, in the face of the onrushing Allies, turned and pushed into the Ardennes Forest in Belgium and Luxembourg for what would be their last major offensive of World War II. "Yes, yes, the hero gets the Medal of Honor, the Germans and Japanese are the bad guys, etc etc." [9] Twenty veterans of the 101st were hired to train the actors and appeared in the film as extras. The scenes depicting US troops quizzing each other about their culture (like sports and films) to verify they were not German infiltrators did occur once news of the operation became known. It managed to convey the lack of winter clothing. Reviewed in the United States on April 28, 2017, Reviewed in the United States on October 2, 2019, Reviewed in the United States on March 27, 2017, Reviewed in the United States on June 8, 2018, Reviewed in the United States on April 19, 2020, Reviewed in the United States on December 12, 2020, Reviewed in the United States on December 27, 2019, Reviewed in the United States on July 11, 2013, Top subscription boxes – right to your door, © 1996-2021, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. This film is barely watchable. Battleground is available to watch, stream, download and buy on demand at Amazon, Google Play, Apple TV, YouTube VOD and Vudu. James Whitmore won a 1950 Golden Globe Award as Best Supporting Actor, and Robert Pirosh's script won Best Screenplay. [6] Wellman put the cast through some military training with Robert Taylor, a former navy officer who dropped out believing the role was not right for him. As a newcomer, Layton receives a chilly welcome from his squad. Best known in the classic era for musical extravaganzas, recreating the gritty reality of war was simply beyond the studio's ability. Seems true enough to me, although I was not there, based on first-hand published accounts and one family member's reticent telling. The film is recognized by American Film Institute in these lists: Although the film is a fictionalized version of the siege of Bastogne, there were no Germans disguised as Americans GIs operating around Bastogne. Director William Wellman (The Big Heat) offered up this 1949 treatment of the Battle of the Bulge, which won Oscars for best screenplay and best cinematography. The conflicts between personalities within the platoon are realistically portrayed as well as the attitudes of the various soldiers. The limited space available on the soundstage makes most of the combat scenes very unrealistic because the soldiers are far closer together than they should be, and it also requires the exclusive use of close up cinematography. [1] It was rated by Photoplay as the best picture of the year. The film concentrates on the camaraderie and the divisions between the troops as they ready for the big offensive. Layton goes to see Hooper, only to find he had been killed, and no one in his company had even known his name. Originally posted in 2011, this review on "Battleground" and is now repurposed for the William Wellman Blogathon. Starring Van Johnson, John Hodiak, Ricardo Montalban, George Murphy, Marshall Thompson, James Whitmore, and directed by William A. Wellman, with an Academy Award winning script by Robert Pirosh. Ashamed, Holley turns around and leads a flanking counterattack that stops the Germans. Members of the U.S. Army's 101st Airborne Division are fighting for their country amidst the rugged terrain of Bastogne, Belgium, in December 1944. This is a fan page for the movie "Battleground" released in 1949. While they remain steadfast and courageous, each soldier has at least one moment in the film when he seriously considers running away, schemes to get sent back from the front line, slacks off, or complains about the situation he is in. Battleground (1949) Brief plot: The film depiction of the 101st Airborne Division when they are trapped in Bastogne during the Battle of the Bulge. Read more about Battleground(1949) – Blu-ray Review[…] In mid-December 1944, Private Jim Layton and his buddy Private William J. Hooper are assigned to the 327th Glider Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division. You must be at least 18 years old and you must agree that you are not offended by mature content to view this group. Joe, Heroes for Sale) and was the recipient of Academy Awards for Best Screenplay and Best Cinematography. The snow used on both the soundstage scenes and the back lot scenes is also not very convincing. Battleground, 1949. Denise dies, and Bettis, slowed by his fear of returning to the lines, is killed by a collapsing house. It stars Van Johnson, John Hodiak, Ricardo Montalbán, and George Murphy, features James Whitmore, and was directed by William A. Wellman from a script by Robert Pirosh.
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